When we are Broken
by Sparx10
Summary: Robin's been recaptured by Slade and Veronica and is about to go into deep water. When he escapes, the world is on his shoulders.
1. Chapter 1

Quetzalcoatl and the Wolf

Chapter 89: Meeting Death, Leaving Death

A/

"So, What are we gonna do Rae?" Beastboy asked. "Terra _has_ to know about everything that's gone on since we left." She rubbed her shoulder as if it itched by a hardly-there pain. "Please." Starfire pleaded the guardian sorcerer. "Can her memory of us not be returned to her?" Her eyes shone with desperation. _Robin was a goner if she could not be there to make the badness go away. Oh, if only there were a way…_

Wizardmon sighed as he left from next to Malchior. "What is it?" Mal wondered aloud. Picking up his staff, the shortest wizard to ever set foot began to spell.

Since they could not keep a note of him even having a mouth since it was always covered like Robin's mask, they waited as patiently a possible for a result to occur. Holding out a palm each, the team went into a trance like state. And something far from the ordinary began to take place….

"_Alice, come."_

"_Robin!"_

"_Nothing's gonna –Whoa!"_

"_Terra won't be hurt by anyone, anymore!"_

"_She's a monster."_

"_Slade…"_

"_YOU!"_

'_Yaah!"_

"_Then you got it!"_

/

Everyone hit a side of either a wall or the floor as the group awoke to a new realization effect. "What was that!" Beastboy gaped with awe and terror. Starfire clutched her sides, painfully wincing from the fall backwards into a wall.

"Wh- What, just happened?" Raven asked the others of the group. She rubbed her temples until she groaned from too much bunched-up pressure. "Where's Alice and Terra?" Turning over to her side, Beastboy was aimlessly trying to find both girls.

"Gasp! Slade must have come back for them!" Starfire held her hand over her mouth. Kayu shook his head slowly. "No, don't make that conclusion, be prepared for anything. And I mean everything." Verra nodded but cracked his neck in the process. "Ow…" he said rubbing his own. Verra tensed. "How did you lose it Wiz?" He asked his pal who'd been hit slightly in the chest. Getting up, he spoke.

"This spell, showed past results of colossal damage done as soon as Slade and Roku returned." He sighed a breath away. "AND, there was a minor factor that lead to blow up in front of our faces." He concluded. Starfire blinked in front of her friends. "What would that be?" she asked. Raven sighed.

"Robin." she said aloud.

Starfire sank. "Oh." Beastboy lowered his ears. "My animals can't smell them…" His ears now went up a bit to look at Raven with dignity. "But we'll find them together, right?" His hopes were higher than anyone else's to this point. Malchior fell to the floor in a coughing fit, Raven ran to him. "Get the others ready, this place is full of smoke."

Pointing to a leak in the wall's lights it was obvious that there was going to be a fire. "You mean we're gonna die?!" Verra looked both ways in a rapid, pacing way. Cyborg helped pick up Mal into his arms and over his shoulder. "That should keep him from choking for a while."

"Please. We must find the girls before leaving this awful place." Starfire worried that as long as the two were in the building, no one was safe.

"Ok, team, this way." They hung low to the ground, also trying to drive out the fires already starting to spew gusts of flame. "Oh…can't we just contact them by Raven??" Asked a nervous Beastboy. Raven glared at him. "I'm not a tool you know."

"Stay close kids, we might be in more danger than we realize…" Kayu was right on that part. Fire was spreading quickly, and the team hadn't found the others yet. A wall crumbled in front of Starfire who almost screamed out. Thankfully it wasn't much damage done to the floor. Having the ability to fly gave her courage enough.

Coughing out their lungs the team broke down a door, to find both girls holding one another and unconscious in each other's arms. The fire had come for them and death himself was overlooking the two with loose eye sockets. Starfire rushed by as her fiery fury took flight. "Stay away monster!" She shot at a wall as it crash around them and she was able to fight on her own.

_The brat will be for another day, I want these two in return!_

"Yah!" Coming down on the creature of dark surprise she was able to close in on the girls. "Do not be alarmed! I have come to rescue you."

"Star! Get back over here." It was Verra. He needed her help. Death was coming their way. And Verra's form was TOO strong for this maniac to match. Cyborg was with a heavy burden to carry and raven was coughing too badly. Beastboy looked at Kayu who became a timid Calumon. "Ohh…" it whined. Beastboy was all alone for maybe now, but here he was never. Ever, alone. He became a monster from Starfire's planet and was able not to melt. It roared loudly and the death eater went crazy with its scythe. The monster was able to grapple it mainly by its hilt and then was going to eat it for good. But Raven told him otherwise.

"NO!" she called out among the flames. "Don't try it." She said back. The monster spit out the weapon as best he could, covering the monster he was fighting with slime and spit.

_Ugh! You shall pay for this…_

With a wave of his stick, he was gone. As were the flames.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch

Chapter 90: Devil in Red

A/

"And to _think,_ that I could have been in bed right now..." Robin curled up into a small ball, hugging his knees together, frowning down with his chin tucked in, on top. Thinking of a way to fight back against this oppressive tyrant and the mere mortal man with powers unknown to the poor Teen Titans' leader.

He'd seen no one for almost a day and a half; his feet always grounded to the spot he was told to stand. At least now, he was not being watched. Only Roku knew from inside the teen what _really_ went on within those walls. Letting a sigh whistle out of him, Robin sat up from beside a small cot made fleece on top of brittle wood. Its frame swinging side to side. A crack in the wall responded to an even more negative influence, a large rat nibbling at a crumb in a small corner of _his_ own room.

Robin had been placed in this stone holding chamber to prevent him from leaving all too soon. Sometimes he'd use; in spite of his weakened mind power, a new ability of Rokuro's that would allow him to see outside the walls of his dank chamber room.

No one had dared to stop him from catching even the tiniest glimpse of his team… —

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

There came a knock at his barred door.

" Who I—

The visitor didn't bother waiting for him to speak altogether as the door slammed open, wide. It was Hsari, and he did not seem too happy with such a dangerous look about him. Pouring all the way down his face with such malice in the growl, he gave out.

"Bring yourself to the main hall. Now." With that the door slammed shut with a banging sound, bouncing throughout the whole room. When silence had given its opposite the boot, Robin was able to concentrate on a plan…

B/

"According to these sheets you'll need to support the group in full. His name is Wilson." Young, but beautiful and deadly Veronica stood in the center of all the attention within a corporate building in the city of Gotham. She had weaseled her way to the top and had found just what 'Mr. Slade' had forbidden her to see. Her objective was to steal a device without being noticed by ANYONE. Wayne Industries; yeah, she'd heard of it. That kid she would be watching back in the spirit world after her mission was taken in baby steps, the orphan boy. _The_ _Teen_ _Titan_…

_**But,**_ waiting to infect the city with a deadly virus that attacks all things big and small, soon she'd be in the clear. In addition, Slade would return to join her.

"Miss. Ferguson, I don't mainly believe in opening up to such pretentious trustees such as yours. Nevertheless, if you are willing to let our scientists do some research on the project before it is marketed then we have a deal. Frankly I've never even heard of the company or division; Yoshihara Daiken…Hmm, Japan is already providing us with the latest in technological advancements. Why should we trust for more?"

Veronica was silently frowning, until a smile grew in its place. "Because…. If. You. Don't –

Then I will rot your '_corporation_' from the inside, out. _Mr_. Lawrence. Her palms were now down on the large meeting desk and her expression was demonic. She stood back up, walking back towards the wall. "He has plans for Wayne I am sure." Her voice was as seductive as ever.

Before the group lead could lift a finger, she had successfully pulled out a smoke bomb from her back pocket. "Be sure to give Bruce a call for me boys." She looked at the group from above the glass dome she had cracked wide open with the help of her massive wings. Flying straight up and not looking back at those miserable faces.

When the Gotham City Police had arrived from smoke seen pouring out every window in the place, the chief director was found lying face down across the floor of his office. The only trace of a crime having been committed was a cracked glass dome and five to ten unconscious business men and women without a memory once they'd awoke.

Lucky for Bruce and the men he had needed to finish his latest project, they had been overseas. However, when word had gotten out that the Teen Titans had not responded in over a week, he contacted Alfred. He would be arriving by noon the next day.

C/

Chunk after chunk of the wooden temple model had been burned to the ground. The Raccoon spirit and the possesed cat demoness had gotten away just in the nick of time.All that was left to remind the team of their endeavor were the burned spellbooks the 'cat' Hikana had been after. Starfire balanced on a tree branch in the middle of the clearing. She sighed once. "Roku has beaten us, as has Slade." She frowned to herself. Kayu had not soon after decided to join her in a talk. Something to boost her energies to maximum power.

"The cat child was on an important mission, sent by Rokuro's Cronie. The one you call, Slade." He replied, with a new kind of dazed look into the clouds. Starfire said nothing as she floated down to the others. "Malchior was hurt inside the building." Raven told the team. "He'll be ok once his mind is free of any negativities."

Verra was using his leg to scratch an itch. "So…So Mal was weighing down with the bad?" Raven and Wizardmon nodded together. Gregory brought his staff to stand in the dirt road. "Thus draining him of his powers."

Cyborg and Bb held up the weaker of their companions. Alice was starting to awaken as Beastboy gave a quick yawn. Her eyes popped open but she stayed silent. Laying contently against one of the Titans. "That lady Veronica's got Rob and it's daytime here? Who would believe a thing like that."Cyborg was soon starting to yawn as well. It wasn't even close to noon yet!

Wizardmon took to his books in his sack. "You're right my friend. According to my texts comparing the two worlds that mirror one another, it is night in your world and early morn here." He shut the book with a clap of the pages. "A portal would be useful too, you know." Vera groaned as he scratched harder in the same spot.

Kayu dropped down from the branched he'd perched on. "Will you not worry? We have untill noon anyhow." He said. Cousin Verra was only prepared to itch harder this time. "Whoa man! You're gonna break something there." Cyborg ran to stop the guardian from ripping at his outer layer. "You —

Wha?" Here Cyborg's eyes were alert and watching as a small nanoscopic bug clung to the cat. It had lights on it, and was flashing red! 'Oh man, Verra, you nut. You've known better _before _not to mess with a madman," Kayu scolded. Verra fell silent, until he began to scratch again and again in the same spot.

"Stop it! That insect wants to eat away at, _everything!_" Alice wrasped. Snow began to fall in the early autumn. "Now what?!" Beastboy kicked at a rock by the side of the road. "Careful." Wizardmon came to put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "That rock has a spirit. It was blown off of the mountains."

Kayumon knew as well as Gregory that Malchior was a key to the past. Roku's past. But the smoke had knocked him out with its intent to harm him due to the lord's wishes. The fire was not true, it was a trap and bait had not yet been set. "But if Robin is no longer with us…" Starfire began with a heaviness in her.

Verra was not through with the pest that decided to harm as well…

D/

"Well, we shall make due of the time we'll have once supper is over." Angra passed the wine bottle over to his lead. Slade did not exchange _any_ looks with _any_one but Robin.

"I suppose he isn't intersted in a 'Bloody Mary' my lord?" The wolf snarled, asking mockingly. The demon was sitting away from the plates of scrumptous meals that had been prepared mainly by head chefs in the kitchen. Robin refused to touch any of it. Slade was displeased by this action, but did not show his 'discontent.' He sat quietly, eyeing the youth across from _his_ table. "Aren't you just _famished_ from tonight's journey?"

Robin turned from the man's gaze. The wolf pricked up its ears to listen further. Slade just wanted to kick the thing square in the ribs. But Roku wouldn't let that happen. The beast and his companions or daemons were still quite useful to the daemon king and his servants; the two at the table with bitter hatred of one another…

Robin's only thought was to find a way to contact someone, anyone. But Slade had an eye on his rival. Always…

"Can I please be excused?" The hero pushed back his chair from the table. "I have to go —

_No_. WE haven't finished our little _chat_. Robin frowned back at the villains. "But I just wanted to —

"No means no kid. Now sit back down and finish what's left on your plate." Snickering at the teen afterwards, Robin did as was told. The wolf only laughed louder. Robin slammed down his fork.

"That's it! What's going on, and why are you guys laughing!"

"Oh _sure_…There's nothing for you to know, kid." The wolf seemed bored with there talk, he began to pretend to doze off. That made Robin mad.

Stomping aaway from his side of the table, getting up off of his chair. Strange, that never was like him to blow up in a huff…

Walking by the group he heard another. _What's the matter? Baby gonna cry?_

"Right, voices inside me…" Here and now, he froze up. "Voices…." He turned back towards the other villains. Angra was groaning with a cup in hand. He soon let go of the cup, falling and evaporating into the stone flooring. The cup spilled right through him. Slade looked down at the cup on the floor, and stood up tall. Looking straight at Robin. Robin's eyes grew; having not a mask to protect his thoughts. And Slade would come for him!

Robin rushed down towards the largely spaced halls. He opened every door, or tried but found them all to be locked shut. He began to panic. Only one door stood wide open, and it led to a dungeon in the lower body of the castle. Breathing heavily into and out of his chest, Robin began to sweat fear. Fear of suffering nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch

Chapter 91: In Terror We See

A/

The door opened with a _click_ and a _Screeeech_. Robin gulped as his brain went to work with his legs already ahead.

As soon as Slade had gotten up, Hsari had repeated the measure. "I will go." He bellowed. Angra grunted as he began to collect himself from out of the air. _"Why? Just so'st thou can pledge to thy master that his prize is his alone?" _He frustratingly bent himself forwards_. "Babysat, are ye now?" _Angra heard not a word from the large cat as he followed Slade down a new hall to catch the mouse.

It was cold and feverish down among the rotting persons known as what he might _just_ become in a couple of years. _He thinks he can make a servant out of me…_Thought Robin_. _

As if he were a thing placed on sale and spent wretched money on…like a new pair of shoes, until they were worn and grey. Robin had never felt so embarrassed or violated at the same time before, only when the blackmail had begun in the past. But being picked up and thrown over the shoulder like a screaming child? Ugh!

Checking out of his loose thoughts, Robin decided to try to find the exit on his own. "Slade'll just try to read my mind again…And…And why _was_ it me who hurt the bad guy?"

He felt very infantile from transforming back into a small boy, back and forth. Now he was 15yrs, and the clock was slowly repeating what time wanted changed. It was all a mistake, he couldn't be like this! Not forever…

A broken sink mirror was left to the side of the room. Crack beyond repair. Robin gazed in on himself. "_What_ am I? _Who_ am I?" He whispered to himself. Pushing away from the sink, the gears in his head began to shift. Until each was in unision. _What could glass cut?_Was all he wondered.

B/

Traveling with the group, Beastboy looked back no further than each step that needed to be taken. Cyborg was using his tech to find something, anything that would lead them back to the castle.

As they walked Cy began to feel as if they were being followed. "It is not the same one you know." He turned around. "Who said that?"

"Look up, smart one." Malchior had awoke and had been over Cy's shoulder awake that whole period of walking. "Hi." He grumbled, frowning. "You can let him down now Cy." Verra was being carried by Starfire who was trying to used a pointed stick to take the bug off of the hybrid's fur. Cy nodded and stopped in the middle of their path. He shifted the weight of the passenger and let him down gently.

"Next time you want me to carry you?" Smirked the Sorcerer.

"Hey! Don't be a hater! He saved your butt." Bb snapped. Mal shrugged back. "Whatever." While he worked out his aches, Raven popped back into his mind. _So that's why I seemed unseemingly rude…Because of her…_

Raven had barely met up with the rest of her party as she panted on foot. Her power needed to take time to keep itself still until the feeling of a traitor was out of her mind. "Clear thought keeps a calmness within the soul."

She looked ahead. Mal was going to be ok. They were awkwardly silent as the two still had tensions between them. "Glad to see that I'm not the only one." He smiled.

"I'm just glad that you didn't have to carry yourself by your powers." Raven crossed her arms. "WE did save you. So you have to tell us where they went."

This time Malchior responded as if he'd been hit hard in the chest. Backing away he tried to run from her. Raven chanted away. _Azarath Metrion Zinthos! _Slamming him into a boulder her eyes poured out white light.

"Before you came to the Tower, I had a feeling that some things may NEVER change between rivals."

She flung him into the air, catching him in mid air. He was in shock. "You lied about coming back to help us. And you are STILL under Rokuro's control…"

She let him down slowly. "Yes…"He sadly sighed. "You have me 'cornered' Ravenna."

"You mean, he's the spy Lady Miyu told us about? I thought Kana was!" Bb shouted. "Raven declares promptly that I've done little since my return. But listen to me! I am an innocent! —

No! All of the time HE has been helping that monster dragon, keeping Robin from us?" Starfire dropped the guadan that landed on all fours.

"Understand if I had not done it the lives of the desert kingdom would not be spared."

"You mean they're _alive_!" Beastboy blurted out in surprize. "Robin was trying to keep them safe, not you!"

"Robin this, Robin that. I'm up to my knees in the hollowed crap that Roku has dragged us under to believe." Kayu said in his strongest of forms. "You should be the one to bring us there. Seeing as you've been sending letters to the enemy!" Kayu ripped at the older boy's belt compartment and pulled out an envelope with a symbol of the dragon king attached to the front. "A King's seal does not belong to the son."

"Now that's just freaky." Verra's itched at least had lessened during the argument. "Just freakin freaky if you ask me." Verra sniffed and soon his nose did the work of a hound's.

"B? Are you ok?" Cy did not try to hold either back as they came at Mal in wolf and dog form. Tearing the envelope from his hands, Kayu was indeed worried that the animal and Titan would harm more of their companions.

"Alright, Alright!" Malchior held his aching cranium in his hands. "You have at last found out more than you needed to know. Being 'out of it' becoming the enemy twice, was punishment granted by _Stupid_ Roku and his _Stupid _sevants. Having that great fall, also failure for getting rid of the Titans. And even catching you off guard. And all in waiting to free my damnable self from his hands." He shook and held himself back, backing into Starfire's fist.

Cursing in her own language she was not at all happy from what she had done. "Raven!" she cried to her friend. He was out of it again, so the rest would forget the whole episode entirely.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 92: Questions and Answers

A///

"Finding him won't be as easy as getting back to your world." Malchior started to draw a stick in the sand of the dirt had recovered an hour later and did not speak out as he had done before, only helped. "Through major fog we'll travel and then —

He made the stick point into the ground. "Then we'll be in the realm we need to start fresh. China should be good, or perhaps Korea, or maybe—

Whoa, _Whoa! _Hold _up_ there sport. One civilization at a time. Please." Verra paused as quickly as he had spoken and started to scratch his neck all over again like before.

"_I_…_Think_ _I_ _got_…._it!" _He had successfully pulled off a lump of fur with the bug wroghly tucked inside. The light now stilled from the bug, but still ran for as ong as their eyes were on the thing. Then it stopped and started to venture towards Starfire.

"EEK!"

ZZAP! "The few gathered in around the insect, making sure it was terminated for good. "The bug never knew what had just 'hit it' Hehe… Quote Starfire. Kayu nodded slowly to his friends. "Is it possible to see if it carries any type of lethal toxins?"

Cy picked the thing up. Beastboy pointed laughing with an open mouth.

"Ha!—

_EWW_!" Cyborg dropped the thing to the ground with a start. The bothersome mechanism _did_ have something inside its systems. A fluid that soaked the road with an acidlike mixture to it. Turning the dirt a darker shade of brown. "A_HA!" _Verra went pointer on the dead machine. "So that's why I've been in the zone lately…"

"You mean, something else." Raven concluded. Verra sat back down. "Um, yeah."

"The wolf?" Asked Starfire. Raven nodded.

"So…Everybody's gonna be ok, right?" Beastboy shifted thoughts with the two. "Not until we find Robin."

Raven saw as Wizardmon shook his head at Cy. "Not until we Stop Rokuro..."

B//

"What A _Night_…!" Without slamming the bedroom door Veronica was consciously able to throw herself on top of her mound of pillows a top her large and luxurious queen size bed. "Being a half mortal sure has its kicks." She told herself. "Still, I do hope Slade is taking care of our precious, little Richard Grayson…"

Letting out a sigh of relief her shoes were soon on the floor by the edge of the bed. Those ninety dollar red

open toe pumps. What a night it had been, winning the heart of a defenseless soul of a man. Being in this half human form had given her a new way to play messenger between worlds. Roku only counted on jobs like these because of her position in the spirit world. Demons make more money these days. Crossing off a name on the invisible checklist of her mind Ronnie decided to check in with her boss.

"Guess the kid is all he can think about." Huffed the girl. Getting on a short fitting tee to cover up her slightly revealing, low cut dress, she made her way over to a dresser with her things packed away inside. It was only for a few days. _He _was her target. The one in contact with the boy. "Heh, as if a playboy had anything to do with this. Just a new threat to answer to now hon." Bringing a diamond shaped crystal to her eyes, Veronica binked till they beat black as darkness got. Opening up her senses and following a path, this would lead her on a mind engulfing journey back to the past. Not like a regular past I might add, but somewhat similar to reality than actuality.

_Who dares disturb my rest?_Boomed a fearsom voice from the heavens.

"It is a promised oh, great leader. Tomorrow night, Bruce Wayne will be yours."

C////

Monsters, dragons, spells and spirits? What _was_ this?! A fairy tale? No freakin` way was Robin going to stand up against the make-believe. He had seen, reacted in and been a part of, all that had gone on between…worlds…THIS WAS ENOUGH. Right here, right now. And Slade needed to spill before somone got…hurt….

"Who am I kidding?" The teen complained bitterly. That was, until he saw the looking glass in the chamber he so disgusted. Cutting impliments were easy to manage, if you had a firm and easy grip for the job.

Buzzing with a brilliance Robin got off of his knees and out of his slump. What can you use as a digging tool? Cutting impliments!

The iron bars of the window above his head were weaker than they looked. This would be nothing to him. With his small stature, he could easily climb through those bars and safely land on a grassy worn spot outside. "Now…How do I —

The thought hit him in the cranium, like a stone cold fist of fury. Standing on the sink he was able to reach the bars while holding up his frame. The glass came next. A loose looking stone piece from the floor popped out from its containment within the file of rocks right next to it. Robin lightly tossed the thing with a mid-weight sort of catch-and-fall game. Then, _FWOOSH!_

_CRASH!!_

Robin sheilded himself from the glass shower that befell the floor. Out of all the tiny bits, all there was to use was a large chunk in the shape of a diamond. Thinking as he searched it for weak points, the memory struch him lightly in the midst of all his trouble.

These crystals…

He was broken from all thought contact when feet hit the floor. He'd have to be quick…

D///

Footsteps were basicly present, but something other than Slade made Robin shiver and shake. Hsari was there, outside the door and down the hall from the room. STEP, STEP,STEP, he went. Who could blame mister kitty cat? Quieting his step stepping, the animal spirit made way to the door. "Hurry, hurry" he purred misceviously.

////

The dull bars made a cracking sound as they fell to the cold floor with a clank. _OH NO! _Robin bit his lip hoping it wouldn't bleed. _Not now! I'm still not through!!! _Screaming echoed through is mind as he almost gave in to the howls of his own selfless laughter. NO! He would not die down this far…Not yet.

////

"Verra's flea has been disposed of..." Malchior said weaker than words could describe, looks on the Titans' faces. "He is of normality but what about the rest of us? Please, give me another chance…I know I can if you'll just give me one."

Raven sighed and turned back to her friends. "Should we Rae?" Asked Cy with an out-stretched hand. Bringing it back down before she could answer Starfire spoke. "Verra is well, but Robin is possibly harmed by Slade." She swallowed. "I agree that he can help only if he-

GIVES _UP_ this silly worship of our father." Alice began.

"Alice!" Kayu was supposed to be watching her. Not knowing she had left his care. "What father?" Asked Raven, the antagonistic one.

"Um, Weren't you paying any mind at _all?" _Alice frowned at her. "My _father_ as I'd said earlier is whom they all call the dragon king."

"Roku!" The team sputtered. "What about his so-

SONS. Not son, _sons_. AND daughters." Malchior stood looking back at Raven with angry facial features.

"You don't have a thing for that, black cat do you?—

_NO!_ No, I do not..." Alice shirked remembering to hide her emotions as her eyes turned blue. Beastboy now turned his form to the group. "Yeah, and how come you said you were his, um sister…?"

Alice now shot cherry red as her face almost puckered up. "I, um….you see…" _Was Malchior, her half brother, grinning? _Knowing not why she'd do this she spat;

"SO? You are in league with him as well might I add….And…and you freed those fires so they would throw us off-course!"

She threw her nose in the air. "You don't need _me_ anymore. So scat cat!" Mal retorted back. "Who needs a louse like yourself anyhow! I can manage on my own!"

"Same here!"

_Both;_

"FINE!"

Alice grit her teeth. "I'm going to find MY brother and I'll free him Myself!"

Malchior turned to Raven for support. Then back to Alice. "I've read their minds, they don't want you to go —

BUT YOU DO! I have no further say, I'm leaving!" And with that she stomped off into the opposite direction.

Verra chased on after being free of his louse. "Noo! Alice! It's too dangerous, you'll be captured. Roku knows you carry power as well —

Alice clenched her fists and stopped. Her head was bowing down like a tree branch. "NO! He, he…ARH!"

Stomping in a dance-like pattern she was like a child doing tantrum role play.

"You can't be on your own, you're still too young…" Kayu said softly to her. She cooled down a bit and looked back. "I want to prove that I am not weak." The few were not shocked by her words. "I am going to fight and win back my freedom." Her accent was deep and flourished from within her spirit.

She was going to the castle, alone.

////

If you go we —

NO! I only work with ones like myself. She said selfishly. "Over all I plan to train in the outer regions."

Malchior burst by his sister's words of rebelion. "_Absolutely NOT! _You know that range is forbidden. So stay with us, we'll take a detour, and—

Why? So you can make me feel needier than that 'pup of a prophecy?' She answered back.

"Maybe, or you might just get eaten by… _Spirits!"_

"Ahh! Well at least I'm not the one with fangs in his mouth!"

"Weeping willow!"

"Creeper!"

"She-devil!"

"AGH! Fine by me if the gods don't hear of you being chewed to bits."

Alice waitede for her brother to finish but found that she too could not form words to throw onto the playing field.

She started walking with her head low to the ground. "_Tell _me_,_ this is _**not**__ happening…!" _Malchior kicked at the dirt as he stomped around not going unnoticed. "She is such a freak!" He argued with himself over her thoughtless actions.

"Malchior's right about one thing…" Wizardmon brought his staff to his side. "She won't come back until she knows it's ended."

Not knowing what to do, Raven whispered over to Verra and Kayumon. "One of you should follow her, see where she is off to." She said.

Verra nodded and turned back after Alice. "Wait up!" he called farther and farther behind. She said nothing back to her former aquaintences as her new journey and plot began to steadily unfold.

A bird sharply chirped in the distance and then she was gone with her cat dog companion.

"You're just gonna let her go?" alerted an almost terrified Titan. Cy brought his hands to his head. "She's not gonna —

I _know_ what I am doing. None of us should interfere right now, we need her to stay herself. I don't want her dark powers taking over." Raven huffed as her mind brought back the attack on her friend in the tower.

Wizardmon reacted at once. "Least we let Roku recapture her once more…" he projected in the future to come. "But it still was not right to leave her, she has been through soo much!" Starfire pictured poor Alice lost into dark by her former master, who still had power to control. She froze until a voice made her jump in an instant. "Come ON! We don't want to be kidnapped like Robin so we can have our home ripped to shreads by some chinese lizard! We should go after her, Verra has something about him and I don't like it one bi —

He is a servant." Kayu saw the green morpher gape after not getting to finish his sentence. "Of what? Is everyone here…

Sadly the two, guardian and magician and sword master turned one another. "We should tell them—

And risk being stripped of our title? No!"

Huddling together for a quick act of silent judgement, the group gave in to Kayu's plea. "We are guardians of the gods and silents spiritual forces that remain on all planes. But not too—

Hem, let me finish for you." Wizardmon looked up .Kayu's excellent visual of the scene was enough to send the place spinning on edge. "But not long ago when the few of us were sent to spy on the God Rokuro, an incident occurred. Our names were written in the mud as we were dragged under towards the bowels of a new plain. One of the Dragon King."

He looked back to Malchior and asked that he continue it was so unsettling…

"When my mother would tell me of a great and powerful world ruled by spirit, I would always be astonished by what she'd speak of. No matter if it involved daemons…I would be ready. You see Raven, in another more exotic looking form Roku took hold of our thoughts. We were prisoners for the moment. The only place to retain our evils was amongst all that was good. Bad forthcoming.

When a new son of a new and exciting era to be born the God called on us to be its teacher. We refused and were sent back to the spirit world where our curses were lifted, if not for the moment…

When the son refused to be at Roku's side, he used all ones that the poor prince of the dragon knew. That incuded us…"

Starfire waited with an anticipated form falling into the story's depths. "R-Robin…?" she informed as her bottom lip shook. Raven found a hand to bring the other one in star's control to her side from by her lip. "But, if Robin is the reincarnation of Roku's son…? —

"I was getting to that." Mal explained impatiently. "Using us to make the prince think, 'twice' the lizard ungreatfully brought him under as we—

B interrupted.

"Um, but if you guys weren't bad guys but were working for the bad _guy,_ doesn't that mean that Robin, uh—

I mean _**Roku **_was yours to watch?"

Mal and the others fell silent for a second. "We were not yet formally known as 'demons' yet." Began Kayumon. "We were trying to save him, that's when we became under his power for actual —

You meal _real_, dude." Wiz coughed. "It is getting dark.' He said in a wraspy voice. "We should find a town before the sun sets. We'll continue our story when we're content to our needs."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 93: Kiyoko's Truce, Robin's remains

////A

"We were trying to save him, that's when we became under his power for actual —

You meal _real_, dude." Wiz coughed. "It is getting dark.' He said in a wraspy voice. "We should find a town before the sun sets. We'll continue our story when we're content to our needs."

A small house lined the open road as the team eyed an older woman outside by the steps. She was wearing a priestess's garb with a flowing stack of whitsh grey hair a top her head, placed into a ponytail, or warior's tail. She looked rested, and perhaps was not as benevolent as she looked…

"Go, ask her name." Beastboy was pushed by the group's sorceress as he had not done a thing to help all day. Or night…But Kayu decided to go instead with Beastboy still having his eyes not just set on Terra.

He had his arms to his sides as he trudged the dusty trail. "Um, hello, my friends were wondering if it'd be ok that we spend the night, miss –

Kiyoko, My name is Tsuyume Kiyoko."

Now Kayu was stunned by her awesome strictness and beauty, but never had he been given the honor before when asking directly for a first name. He'd only get the surname first. This woman must be perfectly respected to her place in his heart…Thu-thump, thu –thump. Her last name…Beautiful moon…

Sigh* His scatterbrained head was now forgetting everything together as one scatterbrain! He was in love!

"We need to find a place to stay…sigh*--

"Huh?" Before the girl could answer she burst into tears before him. Kayu was holding onto her shaky form so that she would not stumble.

"I…I cannot go on thinking such as I have. I must tell someone…" she whispered softly. Kayu lifted her so that she looked at him. "Tell us what…" he asked. The godlike woman now froze when she felt IT come back to her. The laughter of a child, her long lost sister. 'Tsani.' A princess by birth.

She bawled out; "I HAVE TO STOP HIM!!!" Clawing her way out of his grip, the gloves came off as she flew into the air, floating silently.

"Hey! We wanted was a place to stay, lady!" Beastboy shouted to her. She looked at the ground from above. "You…you are only children…" She mumbled something before landing her feet to the earth. Her body had yet to give way to an ungracious sleeping monster of a nightmare. Her own worst fear that harm may have befallen her half sister…

"Sorry, sorry…" she quietly spoke. "I am not in the 'best' of my usual moods." Was what followed. "And my people need me more than ever, it is as if a god's presence has uplifted me from my torn, industrious life at last…

"Well, we sort of…_are_ like gods, hehe…" Wiz had said very little but it was enough to make the priestess back away gasping. "But…I thought of you as strange men and women coming for help, no god has visited spirit earth for quite some time. In many years…" She debated with the wizard and guardian that she had made somewhat 'fall' for her.

"I think I can tell you Miss. Kiyoko-san." Beastboy looked up at the grown man and woman spirits talking before the team of teens. "Whoa! You know Japanese?"Kayu nodded. Bb smiled.

"Great! Now finding Robin will be almost _too_ easy." Raven knew he wasn't joking while saying that in a way they all understood. Starfire frowned. "On my planet, we do not ask questions to those we do not personally know." She held up a finger to point up at the roof of the shrine house with. "WE are to find Robin with the help of friends, no?" She asked the green teenager.

Cy saw Malchior leaning against a tree by the shrine's main entrance. "Please." The priestess coaxed all out of their ways. "This way." Up the temple steps they climbed, almost to the top…

There was an open room by the top and it was a shrine all its own. Incense were lit all in a row, similar to how a shrine in Tokyo prepares itself for such things. "This is to protect you from the darker spirit on this plane." She told them peacefully.

"When you are through with your journey, return to this shrine with Roku's crystal and we shall finsh the rest for good."

Cy shook his head. "Hold up, wait…You know about all this because…--

Silly one, I live with spirit, within…" The wind swept throught her hair and the coolness touched them all. Raven held her chin in thumb and forefinger. Do you know someone called Hikana?" she asked least hesitant of the girl. Pausing as she froze a moment, Kiyoko sighed. "He has captured a friend of the goddess, no?" The team nod, heads bobbing. "Her true name is Hikaru Masami. She lives in my period only a few years after my own birth, she is quite inexperienced."

Huffing she shook her head. "Some of our good apprentices and inexperienced workers have sold themselves already over our times, he cannot be stopped, he is too well protected until he returns."

Malchior stood up from his lotus style on the stone ground. "Might I be of any assistance to ye, malady?" He chuckled, toying with her further. "We have better things to do once I'm able to break the dragon's neck!" Shouting it as he made a stomp with his foot and then pretended to squish something under his boot.

"I'll take the place and send all of those men and women home to ya." Was this place making him crazy too? Spirit react to position and influence by others' work. He was the only one who coud feel his heavy heart pounding.

"Oh!" Starfire grabbed his arm before gently laying him against a new tree by the shrines. "Are you hurt?" she asked him soothingly. He huffed and looked at her with an upsidedown grin. "I can take care of myself, thank you." Getting up slowly he had yet to receive help from the Titan.

"Age here, as you have guessed, becomes of little means. And support by others is welcomed in our world." Beastboy and Wiz smiled together at one another. "Which means no one is _really_ alone." Wiz ensured. Raven scratched her neck. "This time period belongs to Rokuro. Are you sure you're not more than a spiritual medium?" she questioned the god like girl.

The weak smile of the priestess let the wind by again. The moon had begun to rise higher now. Indicating a new day approaching. "I am touched by moon spirit." Stated the priestess. "Like you, I am also under a strong influence, but this is a daemon, one of both good or evil inside it's heart." Raven nod, turning to her friends.

"We'll meet back here when Robin is able to defeat the dragon. That and his power must be stopped."

All in unision;

"Agreed."

Raven stared up at the moon, seeing as Kayumon did the same. "Robin…Hang in there…"

B////

Climbing up to the top of the barred window, Robin jammed the glass through as he began working on the other side.

"Come on, come on…"

**POP!**

A bar had come loose…

Ok, so far so…--

That walking noise! Robin had to hurry it up!

Snap

Another bar completed…One more…to go…

BANG BANG!

"Open up in there!"

A guard!? Robin started twice as dangerously fast as he could go, the bar was ready to…

CLANK!

It fell to the ground, as Robin slipped through the window without the guard having seen. CRASH!

Hsari and the guard were inside the room. Walking in a steady pace, Hsari leaned down now to pick up a broken bit of metal. Crushing it altogether in his fist.

"Birdie will NOT escape these borders…" he growled to the guard.

//////////////////

It was true, the grass was greener on the other side, indeed. As green as the eye could see. Robin let the feeling penatrate through him. Breathing in the crisp clean air, he fell to his knees in submission.

This, was the feeling of freedom.

/////////////

And what did Slade say to Lord Rokuro? Well…--

!?

Do you think my influence will soon enough catch on?

_I have no doubt that it will._

The dragon chuckled evilly. Slade frowned.

"His…power, what…does it consist of?" curious enough, Slade asked the dragon king.

_He is…A sacrifice to us all, mostly my own blood runs through his veins. _Replied the fire breather.

But to you now he is a process, a progress towards satisfaction…

Slade sighed. "Not the way _I_ would have put it, but still."

Hsari popped up on Slade's com unit watch. "He has escaped."

Slade brought the wrist band to his side again. "If you'll escuse me for a moment."

_Not at all._


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 93: Kiyoko's Truce, Robin's remains Pt 2.

////A

_There were voices in the distance…_That were coming for him! Robin lifted himself from the ground, but as he did a burst of energy rushed through him leaving him dazed. Memories of a former life…

_Flashback…_

" _We're not so different, you and I."_

_In a snowy outfit of land two figures trudged down a snowblown path. One with long raven waves and a built figure. The other was a bit scrawnier, and less built than the other which seemed to be an adult male._

_The second was a boy, nearing his teenage years but not truly so. They were carrying nothing but a crystal around one of their necks. That being the adult's sense of comfort almost. _

"_What do you mean?" asked the child curiously wondering what his elder spoke of to him. The adult stopped. Facial features could not be fully seen as the shadows cast over the two, while the child was in light. _

_The child's big blue eyes of a european descent showing, the god almost had pitty for his son._

"_We share a universal link, one that cannot be broken by force alone." He replied solomnly. The child looked to the elder. "When you'd found me, I was but alone, now…_

Robin was jerked out of thought. Away from that fantasy he called a vision. "And I thought _Raven_ only gets those…" Beastboy would have told his big bro straight that he was correct indeed. "Weird…"

Robin knew he had to run, run as far as the hills would take him. Away from this nightmare…

////////

"So…Let me get this straight…_YOU _have a little sister that Roku kidnapped? That's way weird, dudette."

Beastboy held a fist to his side, the other to his chin. His eyes analyzed the situation to an ending point. Cy let out a groan before sighing and looking at the dying moonlight. "We'd better get going, daylight's just hours away from now."

"I agree." Rebuked Starfire. "Robin is first to be rescued, then we shall see to Tsani." Raven followed soon after. "The castle was floating last time we saw Slade's face…What about the new one?"

The influenced girl shrugged. "To an extent of the divine I do not know. But rumors from over and across the valley have told of a mist that engulfs all else… many brave warriors have traveled through the maze of dark magics, but to return, only broken…"

Raven crossed her arms, looking to Kayu. "Uh, well we had a way to open portals thanks to my cousin Veravakumu."

"Yes…I have heard rumors of this daemon _pet._ My parents were once visited by his own when passing through our town. They were truly gods of some kind…" Kiyoko sighed. "There was no telling that he had been possesed at a time by others…"

"Possesed? You mean like a ghost or something?" asked Cy.

"She means an influence." Raven concluded. "Like the one with Trigon's power."

Mal huffed with resentment edging close. 'Like your boyfriend has a chance to plot back against a madman, a cat guardian, a snake, and a dog/fox thing…he has less than a fighter's chance of getting out—

Liar! Robin is still a good leader even if he has been forced to betray us. As Raven says he is not himself." The highness of her voice indicated that she was indeed alarmed by the wizard boy's hateful remark. _Robin means everything to me as I do to him…_

"Well, we shouldn't have to worry." Wiz recalled a time and place of peace. "Our trip won't take a millenium you know!" he chuckled.

B///////////

Slade had already sent out a search team to recapture his apprentice. The first time Robin had run from him he hadn't gotten far. This was serious though and the dragon failed to realize it. He could have crossed borders by caravan. Who knew…BUT—

He couldn't have gotten far if the dragon's aura pulsed through him like fire! Every spirit could see aura, it was a natural part that humans did not see. They'd reject him, yes and at a price…just as all past lives were forced out into the open.

Angra groaned, unresourceful. _The child,has yet to become a demand for power…_He said lowering his voice. _And has yet to find a way to escape this realm. He will never be free._

Slade thought about the words for a moment, knowing there was a bit of truth to the god's. "If he cannot find one person to save him from the god…he'll have no choice but to return to us." The villain hissed.

////////////

Robin walked as quickly as he could, making sure that he would not lose his footing on the rocky path. _It's a good thing he had me wear boots _the boy thought. They weren't really called boots by chance, they were made from animal skin like in old Europe like the barbarians had worn. But these were lined with something between cloth and metal…_How_ was that even possible?

"Crime lord, unlimited access to just about every weapon available…right." Weapon, to Robin anything was considered a weapon. Including yourself. The mind, how it works to its own needs—

Robin almost fell over as something came for him from behind the bristle brush siding with the mountain.

Robin got into a pose, holding up his fists to almost cover his face. Only let them hang to the side soon after.

It was a big cat. A mountain lion that only lived up in…well, the mountains! Robin was to face him? No way, this could have been made to be easier…

The true master, his Batman teacher, his...parents, had told him to respect all living things, only till they came out at you did you need help.

For some reason the cat didn't seem angry, only curious! Robin raised his eyes to the creature. His lips, as if spellbound started to move.

"Um…hi?"

The cat only sat in a spot by the road. Plopping down its form so that it looked submissive enough to pet. "Grettings." The cat purred. Robin's jaw almost dropped, it wasn't the _weirdest_ thing he had ever seen.

"_Great_, more talking animals… _I really must be dreaming._ He groaned. "I beg your pardon?" replied the lion. Robin was slumping over as his feet tried to bring him past the cat. The cat still sat before the road.

As if humans and spirit had any manners at all…

"_Look,_ I don't know who you are, where I am, or what _any _of you want. I just want to _go_ home and _get_ back to my friends…so please….?" he pleaded to the cat.

"Why what boy?" she asked. Was this child going into a breakdown…? Robin sighed. "Please, I can't stay, someone is seriously after me. And if they catch me…that's it—

He said swinging his arms around, eyes no longer able to contain themselves. "Game over, I'm lost!" Massaging his temples, he let out another sigh. "Why did you stop me anyway? What kind of cat are you?"

The cat got onto its feet, making a partial circle around Robin. "You would have woken my cubs. But now there is no one to guard them, you are right. You can go free." With that she climbed back up the rocky slope and made way to a cave built in the rock. Four little heads peaked out and mewed. Robin half smiled back.

"If I were you boy, I would not walk alone up here when night falls." Called the cat as Robin started his steps up again. " I will telll my sisters that you are one of us—

Wha! Wait…I'm not—

But the cat had retired to her den in the rock, she was gone.

///////////////C

"This place is too weird…I should have never been so stupid …" Robin was now over rock and disaster but was not far from the hills. "Gotta keep going…" he wrasped. _For perhaps you've got somewhere to be…_

Robin froze up. _Not another indeed…_

A small branch fell onto his head, and then to the road. "Ow!" he cried. Frowning the teen looked up.

A fox was wearing a short looking, green japanese kimono piece. It was a red fox and it seemed to be grinning at our hero.

How do you do?

"I have really got to stop drinking the lakewater here…"

But the air is all you can breathe…

Robin stopped as he was looking up and asked.

"Do I know you?"

_Kohajii at your service. You, my prince may call me Hajii. _

Robin was oddly surprised. Prince? What? Was he friend of spirit or foe…

"Who exactly are you?"

_Who exactly are YOU _the foxed quizzed. Robin stood aghast. "What? I, I can't tell you, but you've told me, and I bearly know you…" The matter changed as Robin gaspesd. "You're from before…you're the one who led us to Slade….!"

_So?_ The fox replied. _I smell rain. Do you? _It simultaniously sniffed the air and scratched itself with its hind leg. . _If you've got to go, then go_

In fact, without words Robin was in a trance once more as his thought was exposed to the fox. His mind cleared through the fog as it was only in tact with the fox's own.

He knew all along! You handed me back over to him! "How can I move on when you are standing in my way?" Was the one called Robin enraged?

The fox simply frowned back down at the boy. _I am shocked, really. _It said. _That you would count me into this ploy…_

"Huh? What are you saying? I just…" but he had, and the fox had nibbled away at the poor hero's conscious thoughts. Robin had learned to spell thought…

//////////////

Checking up on the lowly figure standing in the light wasn't too hard. Slade's prentice had just sent out a message that was able to be heard, as clear as day. That set off an alarm in the fox's head to know when to stop. "Someone has picked up our conversations." It growled.

Lowering the branch so that it reached the ground, the doglike creature landed to the pavement as it stepped down. "Do you know how to summon?" it asked nosily.

Robin shook his head. "I…I can't. Last time was just a mistake. I was under pressure to do it."

The fox huffed and brought its paws behind its back. Beady, clever eyes so _very_ intense. He eyed the child. "Well then, can you fly? Or maybe teleport?" Again a shake.

"Well, you _can_ transform into spirit can you not?" Robin thought about that, and shivered. Clutching his fists, side to side. " No, I was never supposed to." He mumbled.

"Then you leave me no choice. We must leave before they find you." With a powerful flash of light the fox had grown in size and its colour had become that of a golden white. The animal spirit or kyubi had many golden tails at its end and glew with such deliverance, it shone throughout the dark forest.

"As you humans say; Hop on." With few things to discuss with the god, Robin and Kohaji rode off into the light.

D////

As for the Titans, they were a lot closer to their prize than noticed at first 'light'.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 94: Planning the Attack

A////

A mist that engulfs all else…

Somehow that didn't really surprise Raven or Malchior like it should have. A mist that feeds off of people's fears? Now _there_ was something to worry about. Kiyoko had also told them that one of her dearest concerns for her little sister was that someone might try to influence her to join them into the darkness…

"She is also a high moon daughter. Her spirit light lies within the small…"

Beastboy looked at Starfire. _What's a spirit light? _He seemed to be asking. Starfire wanted to say something that might not let him be left to starve for the answer, but she didn't remember what it was at all.

Malchior brought his hand to his forehead. "Um, a light that holds spirit?" Kiyoko had her head down and her hands cradling nothing in her arms. She really must have known her sister or she would have never decided this in the first place…

"We, my love and I were friendly with little Tsani…He was a gift from his birth heritage of a demon.

"_Whoa, whoa_….You were in _love _with this guy?" Beastboy looked tired as he held Terra's hand. "Why?"

"In lore, demons would try to hurt god and goddess born children. In our world the daemons will never be completely good or evil…only separate in form for the rest of their lives...Your friend for instance was born god, human and daemon, he will never be the—

"Stop it! I cannot bear to hear more bad things about Robin…"Starfire wimpered.

Kiyoko looked over by the temple wall and a shrine suddenly began to bloom with pink flowers! "Oh!" Starfire cried. Gasping Raven did not notice as the guardian girl had come back over with some flowers, some still waiting to bloom.

"These contain bits of shared magic from spirits of good fortune." Kiyoko said, placing the buds in each of the Titans' hands. "These will bloom only when you have completed the greatest mission of all—

to trust in yourselves…"

"Why pink? In this case what does it symbolize" asked Raven holding the whole bud cupped in her hand.

Kiyoko turned to face her. "Have faith my friends, we do you no harm." Raven raised a brow. "Oookay…"

_Have faith in us? Who's that?_ Malchior didn't trust that Kiyoko could be giving them all this info bundled into one. So he decided to lay down the facts;

She was a priestess of ancient Spirit Japan

Her sister was lost to her and was in Roku's care…

Kiyoko had given them magic flowers without blooms…

And expected them to find her sister and Robin…_AND_ his crystal!!

B////

There they were, outside the city of Japan's emperor. The only man who could stop this madness…

Being in spirit form he would surely get the 'big' picture of how there was to be war far north.

"How do we get inside?" Robin asked the kyubi. By this time the god had become a lowly fox in sheep's clothing. "I mean, he's not going to be that easy to see, so we should try to find a way around —

Why bother? You are a prince. Show some backbone! If you were able to get this far with or without me, then surely he shall let us enter his palace."

Robin bit his lip. He wasn't a prince! He was a trapeze artist's son…at least that would cover any mind blows..—

Wake up! The royal guard is opening the way to his palace!" The fox at least didn't lie. There were lords and secrets within those walls. How could anyone resist to know…HEY!

"Roku getting the best of you? I pity that in you." Relied a sighing fox as he hid behind a boulder up ahead. Robin flew towards it until he'd heard a screech. It was a large bird, flying right at him! Robin ducked but the bird switched to fly back at the fox.

SWISH! The bird fell crumpled to the ground in a huddled mass of bone and feathers. "Are you quite done following that menace? Come along now, then." The fox fell onto all fours as it began to transform once more. It was a powerful looking man one that looked like the king ten years younger.

He didn't know the man's face because it was covered up with the shade hat it wore. Looking like a noble monk, the god called to mindbend Robin as he began to follow after. Robin suddenly realized that it would mean nothing and he might be killed if the guard saw him in his attire. He looked as if he hadn't bathed in days.

Somehow the fox could tell what was bothering his young companion and turned to look at him from above. "You are too true my friend. Those rags will never do." With a wave, the fox had materialized some new maroon outfit; a kimono if you will.

_Just like Wizardmon…_Robin thought.

And some pale wooden getas to go along with his disguise. "There!" The god chimed. "All through. Now let us enter without being seen."

The walk down a hill was painfull in the sandels he wore. But Robin was about to witness a pain of losing something else that would bring about disaster!—

But let's just get back to our tale.

"_Halt!_ You have rights of the emperor and his son, in what way?"

The two looked at one another, then the guard. "He, is my servant and prentice" resolved the fox god.

Robin looked down then up at the fox, trying to mind bend. _Why'd you say that? I'm not happy with it, and you know why…_

He was soon shocked into speaking as the guard drew out his weapon. "If this is so, then state your request."

The fox looked at his so- called ward. "Well, go on. Tell him my boy." The fake monk insisted he go on and tell. Robin frowned then looked at the fox. "Yes sir…I'm travelling with my m-_ma_-_MAASTER_." There was no other way he'd have done that knowing there wasn't a word or less to describe his companion.

It was hating it that got to him. All those times from before, he wanted to hide or run away from himself. He was about to when the guard left their side and the gates flew open for them. _Time to expose the liars of the spirit world. _

D///

The mist wasn't as ghastly as they'd hoped. It was worse than that! It was in the realm of creepsville. It was a terror to yet be seen by the naked eye! It _was—_

"Ok, now you're just being silly, B!" Cy, with a hopeful thought or two decided to take lead out in front. Robin was through that mist…_that_ must have scared Beastboy.

"There are no such things as—

"Um, sorry to say this but,…ANYTHING can happen!?"

Beastboy flew over to Raven. She was still heartsick of Mal who tried to apologize at least ten times that morning. So her attitude of dark approval had not changed so far.

"Rae! Isn't it a little weird that we found this place? I mean, it was in his _bedroom!_"

Starfire shook her head beside the dark figurette. "He…If I had not encouraged you to leave our dwellings so soon…None of this would have happened!—

"You are wrong about many things, princess." Starfire looked down and let out a gasp. It was Wiz!

"Robin was taken from you before, was he not?" Looking up at the team as he spoke.

They looked at one another in disdain. Starfire clutched her hand to her chest, sighing."Yes…how did you kno—

"Because _**that **_is when Rokuro struck a mark unto Slade." Another few gasps from the team. His fearful voice became a mild whisper of his self as the guardian wove a spinning wheel on the spot.

"_Rokuro visited Slade from his cell, I know not how he had means to escape such a place…_

_From help outside? He was mean about it at first when they imprisoned him. But waiting brought out the worst in him. He was able to contact the man but Slade did not believe since he had already made the deal with Robin. He didn't want this kind of power. Knowing its faults._

But he was let free, and the boy was able to defeat the mad one you call; Slade. So then is when the holding hour took place between the dragon and lost son…

"So…this all happened _before_?" Raven thought iof what he was trying to press down into them like stamping onto a page of books each. Tearing would be unnecessary. So there would be reason to give in less than later towards the ending of the tale.

"Good _grief,_ this is confusing!" Mal complained as he helped to hold Terra so that she'd be standing upright. " You make all of it sound like the scrolls of eternity!" he shouted at the shortest magician. "We shan't have the honor of fighting back if you so **help** me cannot make a better one!"

Wiz grumpily replied; "I was getting there, hold yourself, now will you?" Malchior replied mainly by huffing and crosing his arms over.

"He isn't true royalty by nature, but the power _is_. Roku wants his power back or something about the other…Anyway, I don't see reason to panic unless that energy has no right to contain itself any longer…

"By The Goddess's fire that is the way things are summoned to begin in our world…" Kayu murmured loudly.

Cy looked at the guardian. "Too true." He said in complete 'almost likely to understand.' There would be a new world to go by the rules of until they could find Robin and a way back home.

///////

Both wind and willow tried to tend to the shortest grasses every need. Keeping in tune with whatever force opposed this commerce.

Robin on the other hand did not notice; being inside a grand throne room and all. The fox did not want to change back after he had, had a cup each of the most delicious teas imaginable. Robin nudged him close by. "_We have to tell him, his people, they all have to help…"_ The fox looked down in his robed form. "We shall, we _shall_. After I finish the _last_ of my servings."

"I have never seen a monk in commisson within these walls drink so many servings of one type!" whispered a servant beside Robin's form.

"We, uh…walked here." He smiled small in manner but big enough a deal to see that as he turned his head, the fox's tail began to reappear! The tea, it was a trap!

"Seize them!" Cried a guard from behind the tapesties on the wall. But the fox had not heed the warning, he flew into the air, bounded up the the guard and used his fist the k.o the guard unconscious. More came to stop the group from escaping as did the emperor himself.

" I find a boy, and a small daemon in my palace? Who's to blame for such criminal acts? Show yourselves before me!"

Unlike Robin to want to start a fight at the least, this was crazy! A kingdom of tricks? For spirit? Something in him grew just then. He soul engraved with the words of the goddess.

"You are _BUT_ a god, highness…" He said, so that the walls made the echo reach. The king huffed.

"What?"

"You heard me…!" Robin brought something out of his pocket. "Let us free and I promise you no harm will befall this kingdom." What was the boy holding…?

"Unhand the fox! Let us see who our mysterious stranger is…" Before the blow could be struck, the boy god was able to pull out an amulet with a dragon on its front and back.

STOP! THERE IS A MESSAGE SENT BEFORE THE EMPEROR." It was the messenger, royally telling them all through open doors that some news had arived from the highlands.

"The north! How dare they…!"

"Sire, it is from, him…"

The king's features fell silent, he looked at the messenger, then the boy, Robin.

He started bowing right before the so-called prince. "My prince, it is from your father…"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 95: Planning the Attack; Pt. 2.

A////

He started bowing right before this _so_-called prince. "My prince —

it is a scroll, from your father…"

Robin felt his heartbeat stop, only to go back to that same horrific beat. _Thu-thmp, Thu-thmp._

No...He…he found me?

"NO, he found me."

Robin's senses picked up the voice now clearly, he'd heard it now. "Who are you, show yourself!" Robin's mind was going on and on about this, kept in the dark while on a high level of suspicion, as it arose. Slowly the boy turned to the fox god…

"Let me see that note, eh?"

"Huh??" Robin looked all around.

"What was that, a ghost?" The servant engaged in the mystery too well as he looked up. Then at the emperor. And then Robin and the fox.

"Let him read the message! Bring it to our _prince…" _The messenger nod in agreement as he was soon before the king's son.

Robin's hands shook as he tried to reach out. A flash of each stressful time between the madman and the one between the dragon himself took place within the center of his mind. "H-h_-how_?" he looked at the king that was to save them as well as his people from this madness…

"How!? How could you not be fighting him?!" The boy now had the scroll and began to crumple it into his fist.

"WE were supposed to trust _you_?" No! No, I won't let him win, I've already seen his powers…He wants to hurt your people! We came all this way just to stop him!?"

The emperor frowned down at the prince of the dragon's own. "_Please_…we _need_ you to stop him…"

"Aha! I knew it!" The fox had a cup of tea in its paws, re-formed. "You are yet to be his evil son, because of this, you have no power here, _Roku_…"

Robin wanted to throw away the scroll onto the floor, but refrained from doing it as he uncrumpled it till it was flat.

From the royal seas of the dragon it read;

Without knowing your full quantity of energies, the king's former sevant will explain that and more..

But you have little to return to yes. And your friends are moments away from the castle gates, so please. Pack up your things, this has gone on for years more than you can guess out of not the friendly folk will have no choice but to give into power beyond dreams of theirs combined.

Maybe that Tamaranean girl will befit as a desirable young woman in years maybe. Apprentice..Rokuro perhaps. Your name is slightly boggling to its people anywho.

THAT, was where he'd draw the line…

Ripping up the thing into bits of what had been a former notice, Robin was left with what seemed to be screams inside.

The emperor smirked back at the bent form of a former half god.

"Calm yourself, I will arrange for the royal guard to escort you home—

You do that…and I'll kill you, filth!"

B/////

"There's the grand entrance, and the fog…is clearing up!" Wiz pointed through the haze at a monument afront a castle hidden in vines. The gates oddly enough, were not attended by one or two guards…

The monument was something similar to what they had seen when first returning to this world. A dragon made of a red stone with gem-like eyes. These eyes bore down on any intruders that dared defy the ruler of the kingdom!

"Roku…" Raven growled in an angry tone. She was the first to make the team jump back. " I've locked entry to Alice and Verra's minds. They will be closer to us now…"

Wiz nod as Mal pulled up an arrow. "Time for the welcoming commity to show us in." He grabbed his bow from his back and shot a small speedy arrow at and over the castle wall.

"_Who goes there!_" A man was standing in uniform atop one of the turrets. He was clean shaven with a patch over his eye, he was not without weapons… But Raven knowing so that his mind was covered in a thick fog that made it hard to see. " It is I. The great wizard, Malchior of Knoll. We require entry to this settlement."

"_Settlement_ he says…Oy…" The guard mumbled to himslf. "This ain't here a settlement, it is a grand palace where the king holds all power over this plane!" He called back down to the group.

'Many have come to see the great king, few of them returned. It is my duty to only allow those who truly deserve to be in his presence. To see that they arrive unharmed."

Whispering over to Raven, the Green Titan murmured;

"More like Un-_armed." _

Starfire was the next to try to allow them the pleasure upon entering…

…

"Please…Our friend was taken by a mean man that we have yet to battle…We were told he would be here—

AND, just who is that little lady? The king holds only those deserving punishment within these walls. What proof does your friend have that will change me?" He smirked at her. "Where do you come from, child? Perhaps a plane of your fellow children? For I've never seen eyes so intense, but one pair…"

Kayu stood tall. "Whose were those?"

The man worked out of his daze, shaking off the confusion of the teen's questions. "No! Unless you are of _royal_ importance to his Highness then go away, we needn't have to worry `bout this argument."

With a wave he bid them good day.

///////////

"Now what? We can't get in!" Beastboy sprung into action as he got in the face of a fellow empath.

'I will not be denied 'the entrance of' by a coward!" Starfire's fists lit up. Her eyes brightly lit showed her the way even though it was like seeing without seeing. _"Raah!"_

Starfire gasped as the bolt hit a forcefield that only the king's men could see! She dodged the first hit of the bolt as it came bouncing back at her. Raven deflected the second blow. Mal shook his head. "Let _me_ show you how we take care of business here…"

The arrows and bow were out. But he would need some supplies.

Turning the other way towards the smaller wizard, he asked;

"Can you materialize a rope, a _long_ one?" The little guy nodded and pulled out the tip of the rope from his knapsack. Only to reackh into it further till the whole thing looked like a hoax!

"DUDE! This is _not_ Mary Poppins, so quit playing around!—

Huh?" Beastboy watched as the rope was pulled out of the seemingly small sack. Weirder and weirder!

Whoa…" Cy looked down as Malchior thanked the guardian for its time.

"What is it that you are going to do with arrows and rope?" Asked Kayumon.

The boy half heartedly gave a smile. "We're bringing _it _down!"

Slinging the rope over his shoulder, the daemon child rushed up to the gate and took hold of his bow. Attaching the rope around the arrow, he brought them all together; Bow, arrow, rope.

SHWING!

There, the arrow flew of over to the barrier, inside and over the tower that the guard kept watch on them.

But, where had it come and gone? Did he win?

C////

"Roku must mean the child's escaped…seize them!" Cried the emperor angrily. Pointing and staring at the boy.

"_Why?_ Don't you want to be free of him?" Asked the child, concerned in thought. Richard saw as the fox dodged a fist from one guard and then more came. Robin paniced as he looked away from the fighting. "Why won't you help us! Do you want to be his servant forever?" He asked again through his lips, shaking with his brow covered in sweat.

"No. I have promised to watch over his worshipers while remaining in power. Too bad for you." Robin was angry now. More injustice? At a price!? That wasn't funny at all…

"_Raaah!" _Robin now confronted a guard as the emperor snuck out through the palace entranceway. "Let us go!"

Us, you said us right? That voice? Was it talking to him? There was a blaze of light as the prince held on with arms caressing his sides. "W- wh – WHY!?" Robin screamed on the inside as he was bealy even able to see through to the fox…That was until the fire returned to the prince. He was going to hurt someone for delivering the wrong message… 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 95: Planning the Attack; Pt. 3.

A////

"_Ok, on the count of three we attack…Ready…GO!"_

Starfire woke the sleeping guard in his turret, tower watchroom.

"Hey! What in the king's name do you think you're—

We are taking them back! Together."

Raven flashed out her projectile arms as they tore down the gateway's door. Starfire helped to keep the emotions going.

CRASH!

The door was down…But—

_Where is everyone?_ "Hello!" Malchior looked up at the second floor steps that spiralled up to the top. "Is anyone there!"

Starfire and Raven made for the front of the steps. "_Hello_?" Starfire called up to the ghosts of the night that were not present.

"They're not here…which means…---

YOU LOSE." Hsari had been using his power to conceal himself from the Titans. He had known of their arrival long before they had entered the castle walls. He was holding a spear tipped staff and next to him were maany of his kind of spirit folk. "He is not with us. The boy ran away —

Then where is Slade!" fought the Tamaranean girl. Her fists set full of cosmic energies.

Cy _knew_ the cat from the temple underground base. He got madder just staring the cat down. " Robin, you know? The kid you helped catch!?" Raven spun around to see Cyborg bringing his cannon up in full negativity. He shot the blast as it was deflected by an awesome _swish _with the wave of Hsari's arm.

"You should have stayed with us. We could have trained you." Beastboy knudged Cyborg with a shoulder as he whispered loudly to him. "Is he a Frankenstein or something?"

"SILENCE! This ends _NOW!" _The Teen Titans against Hsari the lord of panther warriors…

/////////

Robin ran and ran until his knees almost twisted together in a pretzal knot. Panting heavily he was after one man, or spirit. The king had angered him long enough for the darkness in Robin totake full control. Robin no longer played by rules.

Put your anger aside…How dare he!! Slade had anger issues too, so why just him?

"Stop!" The empire would collapse if the emperor passed on thanks to Robin's inner hatered. How could he have voices telling him what to do? It had to be magic, maybe something to do with the doctor from the last base he'd been trapped inside of…The needle! It had to be!

Just knock him down, you have powers that work to kill!

The voice…That horrible reflection of his monsters inside. The doors opened wide for the teen as he flew out onto the steps of the palace's outside. No evil guy….he'd gotten away?

Don't Move.

Robin tried not to spin around to face the king. He was holding a powerful looking staff, sneering down the prince-to-be. You have come very far, but today I will hold all of the king's power. Your father—

HE'S NOT MY FATHER!! Don't you get it? Power and money…You just can't seem to have enough!"

Robin frowned as he soon let his mind be taken with a sweep of airy thoughts clouding his judgement. "You're no king…A real king would never make deals with a monster!" The emperor grunted and held the staff inches from his fearsome competitor. He looked cocky.

Silence! I am king, and once you are destroyed, I will become the vessel he may keep!" the moronic man laughed till his eyes popped. "You will not win today, young prince…"

Robin heard only the wind through the plum blossom trees in the way. Then the world turned dark….

SLASH! 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 96: Demise of the Heart; the Plot Thickens

A////

Starfire rushed to the side of the broken hero. "What happened?" Her face filled with the same type of worry she had harboured throughout the journey. Her friend's face was littered with confusion of every kind. How was it that the man and emperor was now laying dead on the stone cold ground?…

"Star?…What……._Happened_ here…?"

She clutched the side of his shoulder. "I do not think I believe how someone I know could be –

What?"

It was Verra. "A killer? Yes! That's the whole point here!" Wiz grunted next to them as he came over. "What my friend is trying to say is that, help us all….That your friend delibrately did the unthinkable without anyone's consent…"

Beastboy could not see over Starfire's shoulder. "Did what—

What!"

It was too late to hide anything from the team. The cat had said it…

"You…_KILLED_ him? Why?" Beastboy slapped a hand to his forehead. Cy frowned as he looked at his leader, seriously. "After all we did to get you back…you find a way to get caught and—

But it wasn't my fault!" Robin pleaded. "He was going to hurt his people—

They were never his. Roku held the cards, remember?" Kayu had entered the circle and huddled. Robin sighed with a fearfulness in his voice. "But!—

"_NO_ buts. Cy crossed his arms. "Explain."

Robin gulped down what he was able. "I…Was helped to escape after I had gotten myself free, and a spirit…Hajii was able to help find a way into the castle…the emperor found us and gave me a warning note from Slade to return to him…"

Starfire clenched her teeth. _Slade… _It was him…

"Who was this spirit?" asked Kayu. At the time of first meeting the desguised fox, the guardian had been out cold.

Raven was still as she listened. The wind poured onto them as it blared, mercilessly. "You said he was a spirit, but how did you find out? He must have not told you, not until recently…"

I am well…

The team turned as the fox reappered from behind. _You have heard of the god kyubi, no?_

Robin gasped when he saw the god holding its arm and in a limp. _As have you…_

Robin lifted slowly from the ground in a short time. Turning to run over to the fox god.

"NO!" The fox was bleeding as his eyes shut and his mind closed down. Robin hugged his comrade as if they were never apart for long. The boy was now crying over a pool of blood and clothing. Hugging his arms to his sides. "Help…Someone help!" He called to his team.

"Raven…_Please_…"

It was not until the form of the fox turned to mist that the child now bawled out.

An old friend…older than it seemed, had died that day…

B///

"I'm sorry…there was nothing I could do…" After the hero had calmed Raven had the chance to converse with ease. "He wasn't human so, I had trouble looking into his—

Mind. I know…" Robin got up, his heart already far past hurting. _Only knowing that someone would pay fo—_

Hey man, we'll find Slade. You've jut gotta be…Hey! Where are you going?" Cy borg looked over to Starfire as she nodded and floated over to her departing love.

"Robin, you must have faith in us…_Robin!"_

The hero ignored as his mind had been set as soon as the mist had parted. He would find what ever power the curse spoke of, use it to fight for his losses. Then home would never be the same. In that short time, he'd become a companion to the lone fox. It was time to repay the favor, what they had set out to do…

//////

"_So_, what are you going to do about your 'missing link?" Veronica stood up and then took a sip of her wine. Slade was pacing in the same room, right in front of her. "He's got the amulet you sent him, it's only a matter of time before he figures out its use."

"I won't lay down any cards until the first strike." He said. "You know as well as myself that there isn't time…" by this time his pacing had grown unsteady. Something was up as Veronica realized misfortune upon them.

"Ahh, so you _are_ afraid of the dragon's bite…wouldn't have guessed it on _you_." She swirled her glass. "But maybe returning to us isn't the key, ever thought of sending them all back home?"

Slade chuckled deply as his pacing again slowed. "You are quick witted my dear, how could I have thought of doing any of this alone…_unless_….

The girl leaned in to hear more on the old man…

BY THE BOWELS OF HELLS YOU WISH TO BE LEFT TO MERCILESS MASTERS OF YOUR PAST! THEN KEEP YOUR MOUTH _SHUT_!

"Hm, Dragon's power gets the best of you, huh?" The man plopped into a seat by the woman's. He rubbed his temples, arms later outstretched onto the chair arms. "Pour me a glass will you?" he sighed.

As she did this her voice reached him just in the knick of time. "He can't sing yet or blow things up with his mind…What good is a boy like that?"

Slade paused for a second holding his glass until he put it to the side of his chair by a table. "What is control to the dragon?" he wrasped angrily. "He'll drive me into a lunatic…" Veronica huffed at him.

"Well, I know reasoning with a god takes all your energies away from the body…believe me. Maybe he'll take over Robin's and destroy us all! Hands down, the kid's got guts if he's setting sights on a destructive path…"

Slade jolted up from the chair, bolting to the door. "WE shall see." He said within his menacing image.

/////////////

"Please…Let us go together to find the one you seek! It is not very far, right?" Starfire's answer was given a glare and a not so positive attitude. This making Robin's guilt worsen. Wiz had just made his appearance after a meditation session with Kayu and Raven. Verra rushed up to her.

"Robin's going on alone! Stop his major-ness from progressing…" Raven opened an eye as she sat in cross legged position, floating. Landing with eyes shut, she was able to contain her fears and work alongside her friends.

"Listen, he's not dead—

Robin turned around quickly. "No. I saw his mind, he was lost like me…" lowering his head he saw not as Raven gaped. "That- that's impossible…you,_you_ can't have seen into his head like I see into minds every day!"

Fists to sides she was hoping he'd turn to her again. "Maybe I've been a victim for too long, Rae. He can't have any of us, I won't let him…"

Shaking her head the gothic mistress sighed. "Who? Slade? Roku? Robin, they ARE the same person!" she shouted at him.

"But…why was Slade chosen as a body for the beast?" asked a timid Starfire.

"Cause Slade was the first to have Robin under his wing with tricks of his own." Verra shrugged.

Robin's fists grew tighter. "I warned you not to mention that again! It's over! He doesn't own me….anymore…" Thoughts were blank in memory as if it had all been a dream. When was that again?

"But it could be a key to unlocking the past of the young prince's! You must reconsider…" Wiz looked up at the sky from below. "There is so much planning to go into. We must be quick about this." Sensing a foolish way to end and begin in his words, the guardian decided to begin again.

"Did _Slade_ ever tell you about the vessel?" Robin leaned against a tree for support. "What? Isn't

he?—

Nope." Verra stretched out his limbs once more. "Wrong on _all_ levels, kid."

///////////

"Sooo…let me get this straight….Robin?…What is he now?…You said—

WE _SAID_…v-e-s-s-e-l. Verra spelled out the word with his nails outstretched. At least Cy was onto something big enough to matter in the least. Robin was dumb with a blank and empty mind. Beastboy shook his head. "Is a vessel even living?" he asked anxiously.

"Sometimes it isn't even a _thing_ at all." Replied the cat. "It can be a catalyst, a trouble to begin and end in disaster." He looked up at star and Bb. "Does that answer your question?" The two looked at Robin, then back to the guardian bunch. Something didn't fit that they had to know within hours only to seconds. Time was running out.

///////

_The Titans had gone through a portal thanks to their guardians_…thought Hsari. Musing about the blankness of the plan was enough to drive any god mad with power! That, and they had escaped the castle to be brought to a new plane. Hsari's men were standing from behind the panther god. _My master knows of the escape to the China plane, there will be no regrets…_

The gods nodded back to the lead and left him to think out things again. Still, no one would be safe from that menace of a god. By far his birth powers had doubled even as he slumbered…Boy and king alike.

_How long must I suffer…_Hsari whispered unhappily. Turning his head to a sound from the doorway, he saw Slade's men approach the castle gates. He was here…!

"You, my friend are little known to these cats…maybe ever so weak to show up at all. Would be silly if you…dissapeared!—

VERONICA!

She was like a bullet in sooner seconds. "Yes, I know…" she bowed. Slade on the other hand backed away from the formalities of the girl. He was not that kind of person. Period.

"I have given you warning to stay your dagger Hsari, panther god." Hsari snorted as he withdrew his weapon. _How formal_ _my lord_. He smirked.

"Remember how much our friend hates to lose…you have some nerve." Spat the demoness. The god huffed as his men went to the door on the other side of the enourmous room. Avoiding Slade's commando army. The androids pushed past to get a second view of their master.

_Coming back from your __**true**__ home I see? Well this should be a home enough for you two. As so the dragon decrees. _Once Hsari had stated his whole point, he decided to retire to his own abode. But someone stopped him. "Angra haunts other's dreams as a demon god. I've sent him to follow my apprentice."

Hsari turned dark. _WHAT? He will be mortified by even having set foot in bed tonight. You will kill him in his dreams, the god is unworthy of control in that realm. Don't let his majesty down. _

"Relax. I have it all planned out." Taking out the same orb that he had used on Kayumon in the desert, he placed it on the floor where it bean to glow. The draon's mark appeared. "With that seal in place, he will be punished any way I see fit." Slade told them with the mark glowing even more brightly than before. Angra appeared on the orb body as if it were a screen. "Tonight." He began to the creature. "Tonight, make everything he sees a lie. I don't want any of this getting out to the gods. Hsari will go after Alicia while I command the warbots. The gods' kingdom with fall, in their dreams…"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 97: Demise of the Heart; What's Yours is Mine

A////

_Starfire rushed to the side of the broken hero._ _"What happened?"_

What had happened was a catastrophy of air rushing and blood pumping through his veins…_SLADE'S_ _doing. _Robin was just going to take a walk to the lake outside the castle walls. But Calumon came too. Just for safety sake.

Robin groaned loudly, trying to get the thing to go away. Maybe he's a monster in desguise too! "One can only tell that a friend has cheated to lie." Robin looked down. The little ball of white smiled back up at the teen. "My Gran-Gran told me that when I was a small lord like you!" It giggled jubiantly."I know we can teach you to use lots of power, that was the plan."

Robin stopped to turn at those words.

"What?" His eyes may have grown dark under the mask that had been returned to him. Suspicion clouded the child's mind and washed away whatever hopefulness had once been restored. " What plan are you saying I'm part of ?" Calumon only shrugged. Smirking down and eyes beady. " My counterpart says you won't last a day, but I say…

_HYAAAA!_ Robin was off the course he'd been trailing down and was lucky not to have gotten hit. Calumon was driven to tears before he transformed. It looked like a fox and dog mix on all fours and glowing light blue with white mixed in. With the same triple triangle crest on his forehead to guide his spirit, the thing looked most definitely like Hajii! It also had purple marks and bands on its body. Robin gasped at the majestic creature.

The one that had attacked was an animalistic phantom-like beast. Standing over eight feet, the thing float through a tree, coming at the two. "Get behind me kid!" The fox mix's voice now sounded like that of a silent stranger from a far away world. _Very_ guardian like. Robin was also happy that the guardian was able to defend them both!

The rogue looked as ready as any other fighter out in the woods—

Wait! Woods? No reason on earth could explain the damage done here. Robin and Kayumon had been placed into a new 'far from the tower' setting. Then it hit our hero smack dab in the face. The weirdness and the woody scenery? His dream had created new questions as it became real to the boy again…It was because of the wolf! _Wasn't_ it?

"_You will not pass me!"_ The voice was not weak but was smaller than the thing's appearance. It spoke without speaking by mouth. _Interesting_…Robin thought as soon as he was able to get hold of the guardian through mind. But something blocked him.

"One calls by me the Puppet Master! Hmmm…You look awefully strange, stranger! "

Robin gaped. It…was _happy?!_ Kayu blocked away the beast from Robin. Something felt dangerously stronger than it appeared. "_WEEELL?" _Asked the ghostly man, blinking twice and smiling creepily. "_How bout a duel?"_

The thing had the voice like a joker, _**THEE**_ Joker to be exact…

Kayu growled, indicating he had some animal in him. " Never on my life beast…" The thing across from them stepped back frowning. _Oh well…Guess you leave me no other choice…but to….._Its voice began to croak…

///////////////////////////////////////// "ATTAACK!"

It shrieked with wind whipping from the air towards them like a blizzard. The two dodged as quickly as they could. Robin looked up to see something small and rough falling like..ICE!

Getting away the mixture of animal guardian attacked, as its hair turned to spikes and shot back. Robin blinked away the shot as a picture in his mind on screen. Mouth wide open and in a somewhat expected trance, he was almost shot if it had not been for someone making way through the mist.

"Starfire, wait up!" Raven called back, behind. Beastboy came in overhead as a crow.

"Wonderful..my first victem of the evening! Here is where things heat up. Lets shoot some fireworks!"

As the maniac chuckled loudly he also pulled out from under a black cloak a marionette, that looked like a bird! Holding it up a bit he swung it round and roughly above his head.

Beastboy was doing fine until the spell took hold as it inched through his entire body. "_Wahh_!" Teetering off balance in the air he wildly fell from grace and entered a tree branches' arms. Robin was still as the battle went on and his body began to feel odd…

A dark smile._ Now you…_

"_NOOO!_"Starfire shouted from above the few. She rammed the evil thing into a boulder with fury aching through her heart. "My love is _not_ a toy for you to use for evil! He is, _not_!" She saw the demon bring a rock as big as a bead to her view. Then for her, the sky turned dark…

Clouds had become a dull grey, as they dared not part to let in sun. Starfire of course did not realize that it was knock out gas and a smoke bomb at the same time. Now the monster had shown enough of its face to see that it was wearing a mask, something evil came their way.

It had rosy cheeks and eyelined facial features. Strangely enough, the thing was grinning! Happy as could be. But the current grin became a frown and it taunted the girl, Raven left standing.

"I'm coming!" It was Terra, followed by Cy and Wiz. Malchior wasn't present. Beastboy gasped and smiled as he got down from the branch of the tree.

She formed stone with her new energies and tossed them at the masked figure. "Take that! You won't hurt anyone, whoever you are!" Raven chuckled. What a comeback…Now the thing took pity on no one since it was dead in the head. It only dodged left to right in a flash. And all thanks to the good deed that Malchior had shown courtesy in by letting Terra rest up.

Raven turned to face her friends. "Where is—

The thing had done it this time…Robin and Star were floating unconscious in midair, while the bad guy was using his dark magic to entrance the rest of them.

"_Are you looking for __**these…?" **_The group was angry but not enough to spit. "Haha, very funny. We know all your tricks _buddy_." Kayu taunted. "Just hand over the kids and you won't have to be demented for the rest of your life…oh wait! You already **are**…"

The thing paused them fumed. Stomping its feet messily, it let the teens gently fall. "_Hate it when you win Kayumon…But you lose…you never regret a thing. See that kiddies? That thing you call pal is an A; class demon!" _

They turned to Kayu"I thought you had changed your ways to help us!" Kayu said while sheilding a tree. "We don't have time for regrets!" His tail shot off clusters of flames in the colour blue. Cy looked shockingly surprised by the looks of it, and Starfire was waking from the power of the villain. "_Did you sleep well child?" _Stafire gasped at the thing and closing her eyes, let out a scream! The mask revealed through it beastly serpents slithering in and out of it's eyesockets. Seeing the thing as it had set her to the ground now staring her down, this surely was a true evil of spirit or Daemon.

Ru-Robin! HELP!—

"Shush my little one. You'll cause a mess of trouble…the evil creature whispered in her ear."The wolf of snowy white and its master shall surely find us here…You see, I am good."

Starfire was still shaking just as rattles tend to, only this one breathed heavily as its musical voice. She was…confused?

"I do not belive you if you've hurt my friends…you are _no_ friend of mine—

Ugh!" The ting tossed her into the air with its magic as the next blow came from the guardian. "_You are my prize…that would be a 'no' to the dog, eh child"? _It grinned malevolently at her. She was shaking like a small shameful child. And Robin, she had witnessed his pain. In that form in the lair of the dragon's servants there had been a feeling of hope. Not always present, but it was there. The fear was turning to a boiling point of rage and frustration inside that Tamaranean princess.

Robin wanted nothing more than for her safe return. With Alice gone there was no way of knowing what would happen.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 98: Make Way For a Miracle! And New Dimensions

A////////////////

Robin wanted nothing more than for her safe return. With Alice gone there was no way of knowing what would happen.

"Ok, Puppet clown, you better give her up now…or I'm coming after you!" Kayumon leapt through the air towards the prince of evil's positioned attacks and dodged till his feet were placed firmly on the ground before the monster. " Was I just speaking another language here? Give. ." the guardian hissed.

The clown faced phantom fled behind a large earthen mound. Hoping to catch the pup by surprize…

Kayu growled. "If my cousin were here right now, you'd be _begging_ for forgiveness!" Something had gone off within the dog's mind. As if memories were resurfacing to bubble towards the edge of the river of consciousness. Swimming to the shore was not a sure thing at all for the group's fox guardian friend.

"HA!" clowning around was the baddie's thing, but not knowing what was about to land on its feet just moments before a fresh blast of energy wasn't part of the deal.

It was a thunderbolt as it snaked through the clouds unnoticed. "What is this? We were not said to be part of a freakshow…!" The spirit of dark energies stomped its feet in rage, although its enemy stayed completely still. "Curses! My master was to know of the end of the plane that he's provided for us…sigh*…"

"The end is far from near." Wiz quote consciously. Beastbboy held close to Terra. "Are you sure they can make it? I can't see a thing out there!" Looking with a hand over his eyes to sheild from the sandstorm, the beast child hugged his friend tighter as the wind blew fierce.

The oddest thing rang in the compartment of Robin's friends' belts. The communicators! They had picked up the trail…Robin would know what to do, _right?_

Cy called out across the field of fire as the wind spun around everyone. "Hang on!" Robin clung to a boulder and Starfire was thrown against a tree when the demon had lost control.

As the sun began to shine over the bleakness of the plane, Cy looked out onto it with strong thoughts, ones of a new hope. The trees began to bloom one at a time and water fell into the ground. A portal was finally present in the ways of thinking there wasn't any other way home. "Titans, let's go!" Robin shouted across the field of evergrowing grass. He leapt over the weeds in desperate need to see her.

Starfire was unconscious. Growing slowly aware of the world around her. Opening her eyes, someone stood over her form. A shadow? _Star? Starfire, can you hear me? We have to go, the portal is closing…_

It was Raven. Her hopes were dashed by her hopefulness. Coming from the heart. "He, he was not you?" she sniffled. Raven raised her eyes to the sun that was now covered in clouds. "Come on, we don't have time." She commanded. "We HAVE to go."

"Wh-

"I…have orders. I will _not_ let you leave this realm!" the monster from goodness knows cried out to the heroes. It had recovered and was in mid air once again.

Gregory sighed with hoarse whispers in his throat. "Verra's presence…I can feel it!" Through a second opening vortex of swirls, Alice and Verra were greeted with smiles and cheers. They lifted through the fog that surrounded everything.

"You came! But how?" asked the wizard. The little lady smiled down at her partner and then to Wiz which she simply shrugged. " I had…some help." The cat guardian smiled while looking up at the princess. Yup, we made up, and Mal said to meet us back on earth."

Home, their home. Titans together…Robin looked back at the memories of implanted happiness.

"C`mon!…Robin? Are you ok?" Words buzzed around like busy mechanisms in the Titans leaders' head. Hurting like heack at the same rate as thinking. Cy never seemed to get through to him on that last bit. The _hero_ was…happy!

"I wonder what the red raven haired maiden would think of wolves…" mused their enemy, quietly. Raven collected her power. "Terra, Beastboy! Get down!" Robin turned his head. " No, _Raven_!" It was too much to bear that his best friend would destroy the very known thought of being!

Too much to bear as robin was levitating slowly upward into the air without any thought of the feeling of being grounded. He was a hostage. He was entwined in a web of dark magics cometh. Something he'd never been taught to fight with.

"My job is done here."

"_Nooo!!_" Starfire was the one to barrel into the crazed demon and his captive soul. She had taken into light a form of courage, catching Robin in her arms as they smiled to one another.

"Robin?" It wasn't really him, but a copy made to fool the enemy. _Only an illusion…_

This way, hurry!

_That voice…_she thought

It _was_ him! Right next to the portal front. Starfire sighed. They were finally going home.

//////////////B

Home. Somewhere in the City of Jump the Titans stood. There was quiet. Too much quiet to last.

"Where is everyone?" Star looked up at the towering building above them while coming through the vortex. Lighs were all grey. All out. " Not sure…" Robin responded as he had been the first to leave the old world. He too was seriously dissapointed. "What? No welcome party?" Decided Bb as he helped to hold up Terra's form. They sat down on a large bench by the side of the street.

Raven levitated up into the air of the city's cloudiness. It wasn't smog, but fog…

"Slade behind this you think?" Cy asked their leader. The main character closed his eyes. –

"Oh, I do hope not." Interrupted Starfire. " He will not keep Robin from us any longer. We shall see to it that Robin is safe from harm." The teen to her side shifted his feet. " Let's just go —

Go where? We're lost dude!" beastboy flailed like a fish next to Terra on the bench. She was not the happy camper that they'd hoped to return to earth with. Looking away as if she would cry. " I don't know, I can't sense anything, or anyone…" Raven brought one open palm to the side of her forehead, eyes closed slightly.

"Robin, uh…does it bother you that—

What?" Asked Robin as he shoved his face into Bb.s as the other teen backed down. " Chill dude, he was only asking —

What were you asking him, B?" Beastboy got up from the seat. " That it might be Slade or the lizard's fault…" Robin threw his gaze towards the green teen. "Hey, it's not my fault that you get caught with him all the time!"

POW!

" Knock it off!" All had seen as the two boys were at each otrher's necks, her trying to get them to lighten them up. " You're just mad cause Slade came back, we know!" Bb snipped. "So then why don't you just leave me _alone_!!" Robin cried. Yelling back and growling in the same sentence Beastboy replied;

" Cause Terra got attacked! That wolf we saw earlier had two scents on it. Yours and Slade's!" Starfire put a hand to her mouth. "I shall not respond." Her eyes did too show though that she wasn't able to contain her concern.

"So, you don't know half of it…that thing has it out for me! I was glad just to have escaped with my life!" Robin huffed, looking back out unto the distant streets of their bleak city. " I'm done here, let just get back to the tower. This way." He poined out. "Right…there…" his voice was very rigid.

"Whoa! How'd you find it _through_ this smoke? I can't even shine my lights through it." Cy commented. Robin blinked then shook his head to the ground. "I-I…don't know!" he said, not yet cracking face becoming red.. "Sure whatever, let's…go…" Standing before Beastboy as he head down the street was an old shop that he had thought the owners had closed down, months ago!

" Raee!" He called to the others who had been helping Terra to stand. " You gotta come see this." Frustrated, Robin called out to the teen. "What! Is it my fault again too?" "Um, Dunno. But look! It's the chocolate shop! It's over here you guys!" He shouted to cy who came rushing over. "What are you talking about you….Whoa…" The hardware store was there too! Cy's old hangout spot. And the chocolate shop was beside it.

Starfire gasped. " Raven had her hands to her sides from floating to the spot. " No way…" Cy started. Raven was just about to speak if not for a flash of light with crowds of people in blur between it like a sandwich. Robin had been separated within this river of voices and was trying to push past these blurred up faces. Another spinning flash.

A face? Robin squinted at the figure in the crowds of fish. Another flash. There it was! In somewhat of a victory Robin had discovered someone amidst the flashes of streaming light.

It was Slade.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 99: Demon Wave

A////////////////

Slade. It was Slade. The mastermind behind this horror movie…But how did he follow them?

Robin was determined to find out what his 'master' was planning…As he pushed by those echoing frames of luminescence from other worlds away, he squinted away the visions of another.

Roku. This had to be one of his powers, the ones that Slade had tried to teach Robin! This was his doing…but Robin couldn't stop his legs from reaching the point in time intended. They wobbled like jelly out of his basic control. "Not…This time!" he grunted to himself and perhaps the enemy. His mind only told him that he had to find Slade. Slade's outline grew even more visable than before. His mask was the strongest outline of all…

Now something else had taken control of his body. Grabbing down at his legs he tried to get them to move. But it was as if they were glued to the ground. He was still stuck in that spot as the figure drew closer than he had hoped to be to the man. The noisiness of the crowds made his head spin. His mind burst, his brain ache like never before…All he could do was dig his fingers into his skull, carassing it with noise all about.

"St- _stop_! I-I don't want…_this_!!" he cried and cursed whatever he could to rid himself of the ringing and closeness of a fiend so vile into existance from his feet. Now he didn't want this. He wanted to be trapped in a tiny shell where all he could hear would be whistles. In complete and utter darkness.

//////////////////////////////

The others turned to find that the entire city streets were flooded with the fog that had now spread out into the bay. This wasn't there world as the clouds became monstrs with unlimited energies. This was just the beginning of anew.

//////////B

Verra jumped into the air where there was lesser fog to close down their lungs. It was too thick to be regular fog as it transformed bit by bit at a time, until greyish glops made of mush were present before the Titans. Well at first they were careless to see that these medium sized being were anything but weak. Raven was the first to see into that. Without knowing what was about to happen, Starfire spoke as she walked up to the characters on the ground.

"What do you think they are?" Whispered Cy to Raven, the empath protecting them. Starfire giggled. "They looked like a burned version of Star's Pudding of Sadness." Beastboy complied when Starfire had backed away. "Um, friends…I do not think they look very interested in what you are saying!" she called as she was about to dodge the slick attack that the monster now exhaulted towards the team.

"Waah! Dude! That is _not_ cool. Let's kick their—

Wait! Where are the others Titans and guardians…?!" Alice asked in shock. "Big brother, he had gone missing!" It was not enough to converse between a battle as the now larger glops came at them without the use of weapons! They were going to be devoured!

"Run!" Raven called out to her friends as she commanded that they flee from the mashed mess. " You've pant*…gotta be joking. Those things aren't—

Gah!!" Beastboy was encased inside a beast as it was trying to fight back against his transformations. "Beastboy!" Terra was atop a mound of earth and she was riding it to save him. As if it were a wave and she was hanging ten. Throwing the eart at the monsters it seemed to go right through them!

///////////////////////

Verra was with Kayumon. Wiz andAlice, they were looking for where Robin had gone off to. Verr began to transform into the beast that he usually fought any enemy as. The dark wolf. Protecting the others as well was also a part of the plan. Alice extended a partially materialized staff as she had done within their prison kingdom of Slade's making. Verra loudly let out a howl and the things burst to pieces. It wasn't until their breathing became heavy while soon gasping at the rubble after.

They came to life again as quickly as they'd come. Regrouping to form one big glop monster. As they did this Alice soon realized her chance had come and struck the beast right through its core. To their dismay, to no avail. It only got angier and attacked back.

//////////////////////////////////

Cy blasted at the shadowed monster and saw that another was making its way up his arm. It inched up his leg as well, as the blast had little effect.

"Cy!" They were not welcome here, Beastboy could see while containing the beast within. "Terra, run!" She tried to but screamed as a goop creature emerged from beneath her feet. Somehow like shadows the things had found their ways towards the Titans and had gotten very, deathly close.

She also watched to her left as Raven batted the beasts with projectile arms. They came for her in one big glop, overpowering her strength.

"_Terra…_" she groaned helplessly.

///////////////////////


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 100: Amnesia and Explanations; Lying Awake

A////////

"_Terra…_" she groaned helplessly.

From out of the whirlwind of people a red glow overpowered the darkness that surrounded the Titans. Robin was left to scream as his breath became wraspy, the jaw of the teen bearly open. Nothing could stop the fires from that point on.

///////

Robin's new found enemies were not exactly unaware of the challenges they'd face once reclaiming right of their escapee. The Titans had found and stolen away their rightful heir to the throne of the Dragon lord.

Slade's prize was missing, but would be reducated sooner said than done. With their power he would become weak. But first he could be saved. Robin didn't know this, but Slade had contacted the emperor just as the boy was about to enter the palace.

When they had, a guard or servant sent 'instant messages' through to one another's minds as spirits about how the plan would undergo some, changes.

Hsari stood at the king's side holding a glass orb in his was the demoness they were going to meet. She was in a large inner section of the library within the castle with Red X, her new pupil. Robin's creation.

" No, no _NO_! It starts with an _eh_ not _uh_." It looked like a study session for languages of other worlds. Yep.

Though looking back to the last few hours of whatever it was that he tought, Slade had somewhat noticed a resemblance in facial distinction. Seeming to have the same positivity as his once, not-so confused apprentice in training. Robin.

"What is your name." His tone was cool but still all the same. As if expecting some kind of answer from the teen. The raven haired, green eyed child looked up blinking. While keeping as restrained as possible. "Don't know…" he replied.

The boy then followed the older man's gaze as he went forward into speaking with X's mistress.

"Why is this?" asked the firey beast of burden from next to Slade. Hsari growled as he glared at Veronica and her pupil. His gaze was stern as well.

Veronica lazily looked at a guidebook while turning its pages. No emotion could be found on her face. " He has amnesia, so I can't say.." Slade sighed angrily and wearily at this, turning to the profound Red X.

"The potion, child. You drank it?" he asked.

The boy searched the man's face, cautiously. " Um, yeah…_lady_ over here says she can fix that…_heh_…"

Returning soon to his book with distaste of the learning skills. Not the ones he already had but had aquired with help.

Slade was angered by the less than respectable tolerance show here. He wanted the 'copy cat' demon to hurry up with the process or never would she see the light of day.

"Hsari." He commanded.

////////////////

Everything had gone to black. In the Titan's minds, there was only one explanation. Rokuro had yet to rise up. Slade was controlling Robin's mind and will. Beginning again the humility of Robin's pains. His victory was not yet assured. Nor was the team's understanding of this, process…

The titan's faces were blank. Robin had been trying to cough up the dust that was now becoming residue. Yuck. " You awake, slee-py?" asked the fox, Kayumon. "What…happened?" The team looked down onto their leader. Coughing from another other-worldly outburst. One on Slade's behalf.

"Are you alright, friend?" Starfire had come quickly over to Terra's side. Not wanting to be dishonest she tried to bring a hand to the other girl's shoulder. " Ge-get away!" Starfire gasped as she backed off.

" I want to know what's going on, right now!" All looked down on her sadness, from restless words never yet decifered properly. Unable to take the time to ask with a, 'please?'

"Beastboy…What's happening?" She turned to the princess and guardians. "Who…are you…" Desperation etched over her like a storm cloud of unwillingness. Terra straightened out her skirt as she stood to meet the Titans. Her tie and hair a'swaying.

" Listen Terr, I didn't mean to –

You **lied** to me Beastboy…You were supposed to leave me alone! I don't want to see you _ever_ again…Now take me home!" She was about to cry, but swallowed away the memory inside her aching heart. Wizardmon slapped a hand over his face. "Ugh…" he groaned, almost about to have a breakdown and sounding like a caveperson.

"We can't." Raven shook her head and crossed her arms together. " Terra, we don't even know where home is." She wasn't selfless enough to allow Terra's fears to disperse into thin air. Though an act of selflessness would have really been better by now…

Terra became enraged with those words from an old foe. She sent her fist flying as if she'd just learned how to fight yesterday. Everyone dodged a perfect punch of power from the geokinetic. Starfire sighed.

"It is Slade. He has returned to take back Robin in return for power. You must believe me, Terra! He will stop at nothing to get what he wants…"

"Even if it means getting rid of us first—

But what does he want with me?!" asked Terra in her highest voice possible.

"He _also_ knows how to travel through the space time continuum!! Whined Bb. "How can we defeat, that?"

" I Don't. Care. I've got a history test tomorrow and I cannot—

Well we _would_ have been able to leave if we hadn't had a detour!" Terra wished nothing more to be free to do as she please. When she'd gotten home, she would find some way to get rid of this power…she didn't want to remember. Not even with the Titans yelling at her…

Terra bit her lip and turned back to face the group. "Ok, sorry…I got caught up in stuff…But…" She was curious. "Why Robin?"

"That, is what we are trying to uncover." Wiz told the girl quickly and quietly. " We are quite sure that Robin in the reincarnation of a young god's son."

Terra's head spun. "Wait, wait, hold on a sec. What??" Verra allowed Alice to ride atop his wolf back. " "Girl, I don't know why you'd think _we_ have the answer!" Terra sneered at the guardian creature who just so happened to be an old servant. "Who invited him?" Her face twisted full of malice. She had not been able to take things so lightly for the time. She had in fact, met the white wolf in its most powerful form. She would not show very much trust in anyone until she had been returned back home safely. She did not know he was in fact a magical being.

"Huh? Verra saved you! He should be thanked, please." Terra unlike Starfire, only wanted to go home. Not seeing what her powers were capable of. Raven had broken down the commotion to its last thread, only to have Terra growl and turn away.

Terra would have shot another face off just to make her big departure. If only she hadn't been stopped…

"Oh, great…"

B////////////////////

It was almost vampire- like, with its fangs, cloak, and claw/nails. Beastboy was left to shudder as it descended from a touch of thunder.

"The Teen Titans. How lovely it is to meet all of you." His two eyes glowing red and beady. His long darker head of hair almost touched the ground, just as Ro-

What do we have here? A lost prince?" it grinned. Robin could now see the white pointed chompers and the dangling crest above its chest, the pearl white skin. If this was a vampire, ii sure was a looker! Raven saw as Robin gulped up whatever he could- just to show hardened fear deep within trying to break free. Or perhaps…

"You have question for me, **no**?" His/its accent was much more catagorized from another region that differed from the children's own. Alice too froze up at the mere sight of the demon. Stepping past Robin who seemed less than upset, she used caution with each one step. Knowing that this plane was going to be over all, scary.

The long and tall demon waited, as it was ready to impose on its influence. As was custom to its nature.

Alice swallowed. "Who exactly do we have the pleasure of—

I cannot say much, much else. _You_ may be big celebrity on home world, but _here_, I control the void. Everything you see, is clever plot to catch rebels or daemons not of my own making."

"So,"

Asked Verra as he went to point at a glop.

"_You_ made these?"

The monster frowned. "No, these are harmless. My…pets, almost." Robin felt a a prick or chill run through his body at that moment. "So, they were defending themselves?" asked Raven. The demon shrugged. "No, they are attacted to power source. Nothing more."

"A power, what?" Terra did not get it. So he'd have to tell her. The demon extended his arms out wide.

"Big, big source of energy. Almost bigger than my own." Verra almost spat flames. " How come you know about us? Got something to hide, bub?"

"Verra, please! I am sorry." Wiz apologized.

The demon spirit nodded. "The cat creature is in confusion, this I know. But what I can not tell you, stays hidden." The creature chuckled.~_He has to mean business…~_ An inferno infused within two mentalities came to life as the Titans soon realized someone had to be watching back up there. Cy sighed and felt his energy fade as he spoke to confirm a waiting trial.

"Well, nice talking to you, but—

Hey, Robin? Earth to Rob! What _are_ you doing?" Cyber rushed to catch up, but fog closed in first. Clearing away any exits that would have been breachable. "I would not go far if I were you." Began the dark spirit.

"You might lose your way…"

Robin helped his feverish intensity grow with each step. The tower. This was not a home to awaken to. He had to find it, the book was his by force. Something made him drag on, just to undo the inexcusable something that might never leave him. That would haunt them forever. He wasn't taking that chance.

//////////B///////

Starfire called out to the leader. "Robin!" she cried. " That is not our home… Robin!" But his mind had been made up. To the tower it was.

"Please, will we not go and follow him?" Starfire pleaded to the others. Kayu only grunted. "It's our job. He couldn't have gotten far, but—

Hey wait!" Bb turned around. " I can't see the tower!" He was right. The fog was now becoming far thicker than could be proven possible. " I did not ask for this!" Their host complained bitterly. " That child has power, no?"

Not a soul answered. Raven feared that this creature harvested blood entities as well. She could not hurt her friends. The demon snorted. "These? These are protectors? Not good enough. The Council will hear of your failings, cat. I shall be sure to tell them all." The teens frowned.

"He saved our butts!" Beastboy had reminded the Titans and guardians that the daemon had played a vital role in confronting the lesser demons. He might even know more about this, power source. The demon shrugged once more. "Devised by my lord, you will not leave…"

"You are a spy, I see?" Wiz caculated the clothing, fangs, and amulet or broach to be symbols of a sort. "Not _spy_." Corrected the demon. " I am leader of my clan. I am cousin to the shadow demons of the old world. My master is clan high-leader of the Shadow Riders."

"Shadow Riders, huh?" Verra took to notice that the beast was solemn as a birch. Not a word spoken or uttered. "Well, that's just wonderful. Thanks for spreading word to all these…DEMONS!!!"

The shadow rider stepped away as Verra went into defensive mode. The cat's panic drove him to try an attack, but it failed. " You are smart, yes? And as demons we are to collect all souls passing into world. Is destiny for boy to—

Good for you. Verra clapped as he congradulated the demon. "But if you haven't heard…ROKU"S back and he wants to enslave all of existence…so, you better let us go right now, ya jerk!!"

"Then I 'call up' Roku, then?" it asked smugly. "Just you wait…" Verra growled. " You've served your last!"

C///////

Robin was still in need of some way to cross the bay. From the corner of his eye, he could see a moving platform that bobbed up and down on the water. Robin was sure that the machine was funtional, but who could have turned it on?~ _Slade_~ His mind buzzed. He was too close minded to answer even himself. He was about to take a trip down memory lane…a road leading to fear.

//////////

" I have asked you to give in, but **what **is it you do?" The monster snarled.

"No. I can wait no longer. I am hungry!" The cape fell to the ground. To reveal a full leather piece of fabric covering the man from head to toe. His pale face matched the garb for as well as it wished. Almost like an accursed suit of armor. The demon was clean cut, but its age differed from the looks of it.

" He really is the living dead!!" Verra and Bb choked. "AGH! I've had quite enough of these games. Minions, attack!!"

From out of the corners of shadows, smaller demons and ones like their creator began to appear. The battle had already begun.

///////////////

"Starfire!" Cy stepped out of the ring of fire. "Go and find Robin. We'll hold him off!"

"But—

GO!" The friendly tamaran girl nodded to her friend and flew past the angry sea of nonbelievers. She saw that the fog was finally no longer upholding its grudge against sight and that which is to be seen. She could see a figure out in the distance. Sighing, she set down to the waters.


End file.
